Mairead Farrell (Galway West, Sinn Fein)
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94. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence if his Department and any commercial or non-commercial State bodies and private entities subsidised by 50% or more of public funding under the aegis of his Department have implemented social clauses in their public procurement contracts in the past three years (details supplied); and if so, the nature of these social clauses. [39044/20]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The procurement of goods, services and works in my Department and by the Defence Forces is carried out in accordance with public procurement policies and national and European laws. Procurement procedures are kept under constant review to ensure that they are line with best practice, guidance and the legal framework. This includes the incorporation of social clauses into public procurement contracts where applicable.

I am advised that a variety of social considerations are included in public procurement contracts. Some of these arise as a result of statutory requirements, such as health and safety, equality, environmental and employment law. Public procurement contracts are reviewed on a case by case basis to ensure compliance with all applicable obligations in the fields of environmental, social and labour law applying under national and EU law as well as various international conventions on social, environmental and labour law matters.

I am assured that there are processes in place to support good procurement practice, including the incorporation of social clauses in procurement contracts and to ensure that tender processes are carried out in an appropriate manner.